Who's in the cross hairs of the accountants?

I've been wondering what units are in the cross hairs of the accountants because of an article I read over at Information Dissemination that recommends cutting the Army.

So who are the units that are probably on the chopping blocks---or rather who is probably going to get looked at real hard when it comes time to save money?  Below is my list....

1.  Stryker Brigades.
This one is easy.  The US Army is seeking to recapitalize these units with an up armored variant.  Limit the number of units and you need less vehicles.  Besides, with the move to procure the GCV its obvious that the US Army isn't quite sold on these vehicles.

2.  Carriers.
Another easy one.  The US Navy and Marines don't have enough aircraft to fully man the ships we do have.  At full capacity (about 90 airplanes), we're probably at a point of where we actually have 6 or 7 carriers anyway.  The Navy signaled the truth of this when they're voluntarily going down to 10 carriers.

3.  US Air Force Tac Air.
An all stealth fighter force is pushing this.  Precision weapons are another cause.  And the new Air-Sea Battle concept is the final nail in the coffin for Tac Air supremacy in the Air Force.  With everyone looking toward the pacific, you can't bet that the Bomber mafia is going to make a come back.  That means fewer tac air squadrons.

4.  USMC end strength.
The Marines are going to have to take their own ounce of pain so these hopeful figures of an end strength of 180,000 odd Marines is simply wishful thinking.  Ideas of establishing an air wing to support Marine Special Ops won't help stop the bleeding either.  That force (if its established) will come out of muscle.  Expect the end result to be around 150,000.

5.  US Army end strength.
I don't know the Army's current numbers but you can bet that even if ID hadn't brought it up, the results will be the same.  After these wars, the accountants will ravage Army end strength...if for no other reason as to prevent the possibility of having another war of choice(?).

Winners will be the following....

1.  Special Ops...for a while.
Special Ops will be the big winner in this equation...at least for a while.  Then the bean counters will begin to notice that it costs more to support a company of special operators than it does to support a regiment of conventional troops.  Special Ops has a chance to prevent a bad situation by getting costs under control but the Special Ops Mafia (in and out of uniform) will fight it which will see these forces shrink along with the rest of the military.

2.  Sub force.
The boats will be older but the missions more numerous.  Most of their activities are secret and with a rising Chinese Navy you can bet that they'll have more than enough work to keep them busy for decades.  Its back to the future for the sub force...the Soviets are gone but the Chinese will make a worthy replacement.

3.  Helicopter force.
These forces have been used hard in the current wars and the need to at least maintain the capability that we currently have will ensure rotary winged aviation across all the services remains well funded.  Add to it the swing role it plays even in peace time and this is a growth industry.

I could easily be wrong but these are my guesses.

No employment worries for Special Ops or CIA direct action teams...

Special Ops and CIA direct action teams are facing full employment thanks to the fruits of a poorly run, sloppily organized and totally mismanaged adventure in Libya.  This depressing story is from Defense Talk...

Al-Qaeda's north African branch has acquired a stockpile of weapons in Libya, including surface-to-air missiles that are threatening air travel, the EU's counter-terrorism coordinator said Monday.
Due to the turmoil in Libya, members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have "gained access to weapons, either small arms or machine-guns, or certain surface-to-air missiles which are extremely dangerous because they pose a risk to flights over the territory," said Gilles de Kerchove.

Amazing.

Seems like there will be no end to emerging terrorist threats.  Is it time to push this back into the law enforcement pile instead of the military one?  No opinion just putting it out there.

Helicopter raid training into 29 Palms with a day on range 400...

Hmmm.  A trip on a helicopter leaking hydraulic fluid on you the entire way...a trip thats going to take at least a couple of hours...and when you touch down you're in 110 degree heat?  Not fun training...11th MEU did it and the pics are below...Question though.  Where are all the IAR's that the Gunners and the Commandant been raving about.  Talk about a limited release and virtually no word on how they're performing from the fleet.  Interesting.

Could this be the illusive IAR?  Shorter than a standard M4 and it doesn't have the same type barrel, but it does sport a 'regular' M16A4 type stock (or appears to)  *Gabriel* says this isn't an IAR.  OK, but its the the same length as an M4 but doesn't have the "barrel cut" that you normally see on them.  I don't know what it is but its not standard.

Either this is a "sighting" of an IAR in the field or  they're allowing non-standard stocks to be used in the 11th MEU.  Don't know the CO or the SgtMaj of this outfit but I don't get the impression that they're big on that kind of thing...*Gabriel* also shot me down on this being an IAR but like I said, thats a nonstandard butt stock and this unit is supposedly equipped with IARs...my theory was that they would use the SAW for area targets and the IAR on point ones...in practice (according to my theory) you'd have either the Assault Gunner operating one of those weapons and his assistant operating the other...guess I was wrong again but I would so love to hear from this units to see how they're sorting this shit out.

South Korean LHD in action...

This Air Force dude is pure dee bad ass...

Air Commando Gutierrez Nominated for Air Force Cross 

Bleeding Out

“We decided that we were combat air effective,” and the high-value target was dead, so “we were going to use one more pass as a cover for us to exit,” Gutierrez said. “I put my kit back on, put my helmet back on, ... [and] gave instructions to the A-10 pilot. He fully obliged [and] came back through. As [he] struck, we pushed out and left the compound.”

Determined not to be a burden on his team, Gutierrez got to his feet, with the medic holding his bag and supporting his shoulder.

“Since my ears were out, my balance was completely off. I couldn’t really stand up straight,” he said. “I kind of would veer off everywhere.” Gutierrez called in a medical evacuation for himself, the captain, and two other wounded troops, but he was initially denied. It was too dangerous; they had to leave the area, he was told.

Sporadic gunfire followed them as they stumbled away from the village. After struggling for about two miles, Gutierrez’s lung collapsed for a second time. The medic did another needle decompression by the side of a four-way intersection as the A-10s continued to provide close air support and ISR assets fed them vital information from above. When he got his breath back, Gutierrez requested an immediate medevac.

The troops found a muddy, square vegetation field, roughly 300 feet by 300 feet, which had just enough room for one helicopter to land. They secured the site and waited for the medevac, a joint Spanish and Italian team from Herat Airfield, to arrive.

Wet and weak from the loss of blood, Gutierrez waited for an hour-and-a-half. His uniform became soaked and stuck to his arm. At first he thought it was sweat from the difficult trek to the landing zone, or maybe muddy water from the canal he stumbled in as they pushed out.

He had no idea he had lost five-and-a-half pints of blood.

Wow.

Just plain wow.

I fuck with Air Force guys but wow.

That's plain bad ass.  Read the whole thing here.

Brits in Canada...

A MAN Support Vehicle carries stores during an exercise on the Canadian prairie.

Units from 12 Mechanized Brigade have been training at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) on the prairies of Canada for the past three months in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan in early 2012.

The exercise includes a live fire stage featuring multi-purpose machine guns, heavy artillery AS90 guns, Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior armoured vehicles, before switching to a Tactical Engagement Simulator Exercise (TESEX), which involves no live ammunition and aims to further develop the skills learnt during the live fire stage in a safe environment.

The soldiers use the state-of-the-art computer-backed system where their weapons and vehicles are fitted with the laser-quest-style system to record every detail of an attack, showing simulated injuries from gunfire, shrapnel or mortar attack during a mission.

Photographer: Cpl Paul Morrison RLC

A Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle thunders across the prairies of Canada during a training exercise.

Units from 12 Mechanized Brigade have been training at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) on the prairies of Canada for the past three months in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan in early 2012.

The exercise includes a live fire stage featuring multi-purpose machine guns, heavy artillery AS90 guns, Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior armoured vehicles, before switching to a Tactical Engagement Simulator Exercise (TESEX), which involves no live ammunition and aims to further develop the skills learnt during the live fire stage in a safe environment.

The soldiers use the state-of-the-art computer-backed system where their weapons and vehicles are fitted with the laser-quest-style system to record every detail of an attack, showing simulated injuries from gunfire, shrapnel or mortar attack during a mission.

Photographer: Cpl Paul Morrison RLC

A Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank is pictured on exercise with the Army in Canada.

Units from 12 Mechanized Brigade have been training at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) on the prairies of Canada for the past three months in preparation for their deployment to Afghanistan in early 2012.

The exercise includes a live fire stage featuring multi-purpose machine guns, heavy artillery AS90 guns, Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior armoured vehicles, before switching to a Tactical Engagement Simulator Exercise (TESEX), which involves no live ammunition and aims to further develop the skills learnt during the live fire stage in a safe environment.

The soldiers use the state-of-the-art computer-backed system where their weapons and vehicles are fitted with the laser-quest-style system to record every detail of an attack, showing simulated injuries from gunfire, shrapnel or mortar attack during a mission.

Photographer: Cpl Paul Morrison RLC

Are we going to be losing capability when the CH-46 retires?

I'm beginning to wonder if we're going to be losing capability when the CH-46 retires for good and we're using only the MV-22.

Don't get me wrong, the MV-22 is a technical marvel that has and is proving itself in Afghanistan.  But when it comes to getting men and material into tight places...when added stability is needed to get back aboard ship...when simplicity trumps a complex system...are we going to miss these old helicopters?

The V-22 is obviously tailor made for the Special Ops mission.

It has no peer in the rotary winged category when it comes to getting personnel ashore in an assault.

But what happens during those conflicts when its all about the dirty, grimy boring tasks of moving people and supplies around?

In the assault the V-22 is king.  For everyday work, we'll miss the CH-46.

22nd MEU TRAP training...

All photos by CPL Raufmann 

 

Battalion PT. Marine Corps Style...

Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 5 participate in their monthly battalion physical fitness session at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 25. The 7-mile hike was planned to condition the Marines for the battalion’s upcoming deployment.

Responding to sniper fire...

Soldiers from C Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, survey the ridgeline after taking in sniper fire from an insurgent during Operation Diamond Head in Afghanistan, July 29.

31st and 11th MEU's in action...

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), provide security while conducting loading exercises with the Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) on a CH-53 Super Stallion with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265, REIN), Air Combat Element, 31st MEU, during training events at Landing Zone Swan. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation's expeditionary force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region.  Photo by LCpl Acuff.

U.S. Marines with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Battalion Landing Team, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), conduct loading exercises with the Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) on a CH-53 Super Stallion with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (HMM-265, REIN), Air Combat Element, 31st MEU, during training events at Landing Zone Swan. The 31st MEU is the only continuously forward-deployed MEU and remains the nation's expeditionary force in readiness in the Asia-Pacific Region. Photo by LCpl Acuff.

An AH-1Z Viper approaches the amphibious assault ship Makin Island during a sea-based exercise here Sept. 1. The attack helicopter belongs to a detachment of skid-landing helicopters attached to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced), the aviation combat element of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The unit embarked Makin Island and the amphibious transport dock New Orleans in San Diego to begin its second seagoing exercise since becoming a complete Marine air-ground task force in May.  Photo by Sgt. Quesada

Marines with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 (Reinforced) disembark a CH-53E Sea Stallion on USS Makin Island during a sea-based exercise here Sept. 1. The squadron is the aviation combat element for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is scheduled to deploy this fall.  Photo by Sgt. Quesada

CDR Salamander nails the J-20.

Read his post here, but I think CDR Salamander nails it when it comes to the J-20.  Many believed the J-20 to be a fighter.  Why?  Because thats what the US, and Russia are working on.  This is what Salamander says....

I don't know about you - but the J-20 looks less like a fighter and more like a penetrating attack aircraft; almost an update of the F-111 concept.

Even with allowances for Chinese technology not being as compact as Western technology (which I think is slightly a bogus argument in 2011) - that bird is big for a reason. I don't think air superiority is it.

Read the whole thing but I would bet good money that by this time next Tuesday every think tank in the US will be switching gears and following the CDR's lead.

Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon

Convair FISH

The final design of the Convair FISH had a gross weight of 38,325 pounds and a range of 3,900 nautical miles. The overall dimensions for the new design were 47.0 feet long, 10.1 feet high, and a wingspan of 37.0 feet.

AF-10/11 Delivery to Eglin AFB

F-35A production aircraft AF-11 takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, for delivery to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Aug. 31, 2011.

F-35A production aircraft AF-10 takes off from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, for delivery to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Aug. 31, 2011.

Which one is the Royal Marine?

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Marines face off in Combat Marksmanship Training

Too Funny! If you are a subscriber you're missing out...

I love this guys work....

WOW.

HEMORAGE HAS ME TRIPPIN!  IF YOU'RE NOT A SUBSCRIBER YOU'RE MISSING OUT.  AMPED UP TO WORKOUT AND PUTTING UP POSTS IS THE WRONG THING TO DO!  MY BAD!

The real C-130/A-400 Killer...

Airbus Military, Boeing and Lockheed Martin better be thanking their lucky stars that Japan has extremely tight controls on the sales of its military equipment.

If they brought this plane to market and IF it was sold at a decent price then it would sweep the cargo plane market clear of competition.

Via Defense Tech.

British "Rapid Rope" Training....

We say Fast, they say Rapid...either way its quick....especially when you're wearing gear....

Pictured are members of the HMS Monmouth boarding team conducting rapid rope training from the ship's Lynx Mk 8 helicopter, call sign "Black Knight".
Royal Marines & sailors took it in turns to jump from the Lynx at various heights and kit different configurations.
The Type 23 frigate was deployed on counter piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean.
Photographer: LA(Phot) Stuart Hill

Pictured are members of the HMS Monmouth boarding team conducting rapid rope training from the ship's Lynx Mk 8 helicopter, call sign "Black Knight".
Royal Marines & sailors took it in turns to jump from the Lynx at various heights and kit different configurations.
The Type 23 frigate was deployed on counter piracy and maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean.

A Royal Marine with Mike Company, 42 Commandois pictured on patrol around Nad-e Ali in Afghanistan.
Royal Marines from 42 Commando have officially taken over control of Nad-e Ali North district of Helmand province.
Having arrived in Afghanistan and completed a final course of training and acclimatisation to prepare them for their six month deployment, the Marines headed from Camp Bastion to their base in Shahzad – which will be their home until October.
Photographer: LA(Phot) Dave Hillhouse

A Royal Marine with Mike Company, 42 Commando carries a GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun) during a patrol around Nad-e Ali in Afghanistan.
Royal Marines from 42 Commando have officially taken over control of Nad-e Ali North district of Helmand province.
Having arrived in Afghanistan and completed a final course of training and acclimatisation to prepare them for their six month deployment, the Marines headed from Camp Bastion to their base in Shahzad – which will be their home until October.
Photographer: LA(Phot) Dave Hillhouse